Ball-bearing



2 sheets-sheet 1,

(No Mbdl.) I r G. F. SIMONDS.

BALL BEARING.

Patented Apr. "7, 189-1.

7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. I. SIMONDS.

BALL BEARING.

No. 449,967. Patented Apr. 7, 1891.

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I Wilma/J 66f w/vswfoif' eozyeifdv'weond UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE F. SIMONDS, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,967, dated April 7,1891. Application filed December 30, 1890. Serial No. 376,298. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it 71mg cancer/L:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FREDERICK SIMONDS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of IVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inBall-Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ball-bearings for reciprocating or slidingsurfaces; and it has for its object to provide means for confiningspherical rollers or balls in rectangular cages in suitable position toresist and sustain pressure or weight, to diminish friction, to evenlydistribute the frictional wear of the bearingsurfaces, and to enable theballs to be applied and removed in a body without loss of time.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a planof a rectangular ball-carrying cage constructed wholly of wire. Fig. 2is a perspective of the same, showing the construction of the cage moreclearly. Fig. 3 is a plan illustrating a modification in the arrangementof the wires that form the separate ball-compartments. Fig. 4. is aperspective of a portion of a cage in which the wires that form theball-compartments. are arranged diagonally. Fig. 5 isa side elevation ofa rectangular wire cage. Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of a cage havinghexagonal ball-compartments. Fig. 7 is a plan of a rectangular cageconstructed 'partly of wire and provided with oblong compartments inwhich the balls have free lateral play. Fig. 8 is a vertical transversesection of said cage on the line :10 a. Fig. 9 is a plan of a portion ofa flexible rectangular cage. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectionof the same on the line y y.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the sphericalrollers or balls of a ball-bearing, and 2 denotes the cagein which saidballs are confined and from which they protrude.

In the construction shown in Figsil'to 6, inclusive, the cage is madewholly of wire and comprises two parallel wire frames 3, each composedof intersecting wires at, that form the opposite sides or top and bottomof the flat cage. These frames are connected by cross-wires 5, arrangedat proper intervals where the wires at intersect, and also, prefer-.

ably, where they are connected with the wires 3, that form the rim orborder of the cage. The intersecting wires 4 may be arranged at rightangles to the border-wires 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or they maycross the frame 3 diagonally, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In either ofthese forms of construction the cage is divided into a number ofcompartments 6, in each of which is confined a single ball in suchposition that the several balls are free to revolve in all directions incontact with the moving surface or surfaces whose pressure they are tosustain.

In order to provide for arranging the spherical rollers or balls 1 inclose proximity to each other, the ball-compartments may be madehexagonal, as shown in Fig. 6, byso placing As shown in Figs. 7 to 10,inclusive, the flat.

rectangular cage may consist of two or more metal bars 7, connected bydouble sets of parallel transverse wires 8, arranged to form oblongcompartments 9, in which the balls 1 can play freely. If preferred, thecage may be braced by bars 10, arranged at suitable intervals.

For the purpose of adapting the ball-bearing cage to move over orbetween curved surfaces it can be made in flexible sections byconstructing it of short metal bars 7, Fig. 9, pivotally connected, asat 12, Fig. 10, and supporting the transverse wires 8, that form theball-compartments.

It is obvious that by forming the ball-bearing cage wholly or partly ofwire the balloompartments can be arranged in various ways to present theconfined spherical rollers or balls in proper position to sustainpressure from various directions. It will be also observed that theseveral forms of cage illustrated are each so constructed as to bewholly independent of the bearing-surfaces against which the balls actand that the balls and cage are removable in a body Without permittingthe balls to become displaced.

In another application, Serial No. 376,289,

filed December 30, 1890, I have described and claimed a cage havingdouble sets of wires, between which the balls are retained and whichwires can be sprung apart to permit the insertion and removal of theballs, and

this feature I therefore do not claim in this application.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a ball-bearing, the combination,with spherical rollers or balls, of a flat rectangular ball-bearing cageprovided with rectangular compartments for confining the sphericalrollers or balls in position to revolve in all directions and sustainthe pressure of reciprocatin g or sliding surfaces, said cage beingwholly independent of the bearing-surfaces against which the balls-act,and the balls and cage beingremovable in a body, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a ball-bearing, the combination, with 20 spherical rollers orballs, of a removableballbearing cage composed of flexible sectionsadapted to turn curves and provided with compartments consisting ofdouble sets of parallel transverse wires between which the sphericalrollers or balls are retained in position to revolve freely in alldirections and sustain the pressure of sliding surfaces, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 30 my hand and affixed my sealin presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. F. SIMONDS: 14.3.

Vitnesses:

JAMES L. NORRIS, JA ES A. RUTHERFORD.

